Lavishly Illustrated Re-Imagination Of Beloved Fantasy

Legendary illustrator Michael Hague takes readers on a strange and fantastic journey in Eye of Newt!

As a young wizard’s apprentice, Newt, embarks on a wonderful and perilous quest through the mysterious Netherworld and beyond, he learns a dark secret that could shape his entire destiny!

What We Thought:

Lavishly illustrated throughout, this book is a real treat for fantasy fans, delving into a familiar mythology and giving it an interesting twist.

The first two chapters of the book were decently-to-well written, even if there was a lot more tell than show when it came to personalities. Unfortunately, the storytelling began to feel rushed in the latter half of the book, particularly where Newt was battling bad guys. A lot more was put into the build-up than in the actual conflict and denouement, which made for bafflingly hollow reading.

The gorgeous art almost makes up for it, though. The facial work I thought less convincing than the fantasy figures, but the latter are so richly detailed and colored that any criticism of the rest seems petty.

The sketchbook was a fascinating look into the process of creating the miniseries. I almost wish Michael Hague had expanded more on the stories he details in his comments as being the foundation for this book, as they sound like they’d help fill in quite a few of the story gaps present here.